LETTERS

Some Things Never ChangeThe inter-Nicene warfare raging in ski racing between FIS andathletes, coaches, and other crusaders is fraught with irony.One might call this opinion-based-rules-war “The Battle ofBrouhaha in Bureaukatistan,” whose aristocracy is a coalitionof pundits of the FIS ICR and USSA ACR (where any modifica-tions to the ICR are numbered as Uxxx.x.x).In my umpity-umpth reading of Phil and Steve Mahre’s littlebook, “No Hill Too Fast,” I made a defining discovery on page304 about the brothers’ 1982 opinion of FIS.Here’s the paragraph:“The rule changes and new events introduced by the FISare a puzzlement. The FIS consists of a bunch of older men— many of them former competitors from days when ski rac-ing was quite different — who aren’t in very close touch withtoday’s racers. Marc Holder, the president, who is Swiss, hastried sporadically to meet with racers on the World Cup anddiscuss their needs. But then the racers can’t agree amongthemselves, with the downhillers having desires quite differentfrom the technical skiers. So the racers don’t present a singleviewpoint that the FIS can work from.”Apparently, FIS et al. didn’t keep the Mahres from winning afew races. Nor did their equipment (such as the slaloms — K2710s with black spring Markers — I got from Steve in ‘84).Some things never change...but some do. Just, perhaps, asdo technical event courses where stuff happens between thefirst and second runs.Dean “Coach Deanski” TonkinSeattle, Wash.

Phil and Steve Mahre: proving some things never change.

A College EpidemicThere’s an unfortunate epidemic striking college ski racing right now.Just to name a few, UMass Amherst, Smith College, and my ownschool, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have all cut theirvarsity ski programs, and the trend is only set to continue. Fortunately,all the teams I named have been able to continue racing at a clubstatus, but that presents its own set of difficulties. Namely, it becomesmuch more difficult to raise enough money to last longer than a sea-son at a time.While we all recognize the expensive nature of the sport, there issimply no replacement for ski racing. I can say from personal experi-ence that nothing compares to finishing that last final of the fall semes-ter, knowing that I don’t have to do anything but ski race for the nextmonth. I don’t know if I could even get through finals week without thatmotivation to help me out, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably aski racer yourself and know exactly what I mean.Let’s join together and keep as many teams at a varsity status as pos-sible, and especially not let any teams fall off completely. If you can,donate to any ski team that you know. As we come up to ski season,it’s more important now than ever. As it is right now, I can’t say for surewhether or not MIT will still have a team 10 or even five years downthe road, and I know other schools are in the same situation. Simplygo to any team’s website and look for directions on how to donate. Ifyou can’t find any, email the captains or the coach and they will gladlyhelp you out. We can stop this from spreading if we just defend thesport we all love.Jason PierBoston, Mass.